The Ming Dynasty: The opening scene features Zhu Di angrily accusing him of illegitimate succession.

Lin Yue bowed firmly and resolutely: "Your Majesty is wise! What I have said is absolutely true!"

The prosperity of commerce during the Northern and Southern Song Dynasties was the greatest in history. During the reign of Emperor Shenzong of the Northern Song Dynasty, the total fiscal revenue reached 60 million strings of cash. Even after the Southern Song Dynasty retreated to the south of the Yangtze River, its annual revenue was still close to 100 million strings of cash.

Of these, commercial taxes accounted for the highest proportion, reaching 85%. Although the annual revenue of the Maritime Trade Office was not 3.4 million strings of cash every year, it was guaranteed to be at least 2 million strings of cash, which was equivalent to half a year's commercial tax revenue of our Great Ming Dynasty!

This is a rumor. Lin Yue deliberately exaggerated the commercial taxes of the Song Dynasty. Commerce was indeed very prosperous during the Song Dynasty, and agricultural taxes accounted for only 10% to 20%. However, the main source of tax revenue was actually the revenue from various salt, tea, wine and other state-monopolized products.

In the chaotic Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, a time of physical exploitation, Zhao Kuangyin emerged victorious by relying on state-run handicrafts and a monopoly system, laying a strong foundation for the Song Dynasty in terms of military logistics and national finance.

When it comes to making money, no other emperor in ancient times could compare to Zhao Kuangyin.

Zhu Di was greatly shocked and asked, "Is this really true?"

During the Hongwu era, 30 million shi of grain were equivalent to only 8 million taels of silver. Even including various miscellaneous taxes, the annual revenue was less than a fraction of that of the Song Dynasty!

"The territory of my Great Ming Dynasty is even larger than that of the Song Dynasty, so why is the difference so vast?"

"Your Majesty, please grant me this request!" Lin Yue stepped forward and said in a resounding voice.

"The meager tax revenue of the Ming Dynasty was not due to the poverty of the people, but rather to the gradual destruction of trade routes since the chaos at the end of the Yuan Dynasty."

His gaze swept over everyone in the hall, and his words were firm and resounding.

"In the early Yuan Dynasty, it was also a major maritime trading nation. The annual throughput of Quanzhou Port was more than three times that of the Song Dynasty, and it traded with more than 140 countries. However, the four maritime bans and the monopoly of officials and merchants at the end of the Yuan Dynasty completely cut off maritime trade. In addition, the wars that lasted for years destroyed important industrial and commercial towns in the south of the Yangtze River, the market was desolate, and overseas trade was in a slump."

"The Ming Dynasty is currently at peace, yet it is still plagued by the problems of prioritizing agriculture over commerce and restricting household registration. Commercial taxes are only one-thirtieth, and the Maritime Trade Office only serves as a tribute office, not for tax collection. How can we increase tax revenue under such circumstances?"

"Your Majesty, you mustn't! Lin Yue's argument is putting the cart before the horse and is a recipe for disaster for the country!"

Xie Jin stepped forward again, his jade tablet striking the ground with a sharp sound, his tone filled with deep sorrow and indignation.

The "Discourses on Salt and Iron" states that in ancient times, people valued virtue and despised profit, and valued righteousness over wealth. Profits and rewards in the world were predetermined and could not be increased out of thin air simply by engaging in trade.

The prohibitions and monopolies imposed during the Song Dynasty were in fact acts of plunder and extortion, profiting at the expense of the people.

Scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants each have their own professions. Agriculture is the foundation of the nation, while commerce is a secondary skill. Farmers plow in spring, weed in summer, harvest in autumn, and store in winter to produce grains. Artisans work hard to provide tools and utensils. All of these are the foundation of the nation.

Merchants neither till the land nor weave; they merely travel and trade, seeking only profit and appropriating the gains of farmers and laborers. How can this possibly lead to increased taxes?

Maritime trade was indeed very prosperous in the early Yuan Dynasty. With its enormous scale, the Yuan Dynasty quickly surpassed the Southern Song Dynasty to become the world's number one trading nation.

Quanzhou is also one of the world's largest commercial ports, with an astonishing volume of maritime trade.

Xie Jin said righteously and sternly: "The Ming Dynasty has just experienced war and chaos. The people are displaced and countless fields are abandoned. It is time to encourage farmers to return to farming and allow them to recuperate."

If we heed Lin Yue's advice and vigorously promote trade, it will inevitably lead to people abandoning agriculture for other pursuits. Less than half of the farmers will be engaged in farming. When farmers see that they can make a lot of money in business, they will abandon their plows and hoes and chase after boats and ships. When artisans see the profits overseas, they will abandon farming and engage in trade. At that time, no one will be able to cultivate the fields, so where will the millet come from?

Without food, the people will rebel; without the people, the nation will perish. This is an immutable truth throughout history!

"Moreover, our Great Ming Dynasty, with its benevolence and virtue, embraces those from afar and should implement policies such as not levying taxes at customs and markets, and not prohibiting trade in rivers and lakes, rather than competing with the people for profit!"

Xie Jin, his face filled with fervor and passion, spoke out loudly.

"The sea route is fraught with danger, with two or three out of ten ships capsizing in storms, and half of them being plundered by Japanese pirates. The so-called continuous supply is nothing but a mirage."

Furthermore, the government's vigorous promotion of maritime trade will inevitably lead to the establishment of officials to monopolize the trade. These officials will abuse their power to force purchases and sales, enriching themselves in the process, which will ultimately result in inconvenience in the use of equipment, soaring prices, and widespread public discontent.

In the past, Emperor Wu of Han's state monopoly on salt and iron, though temporarily filling the national treasury, ultimately led to the exhaustion of the people's strength and the depletion of the treasury. How can such a mistake be repeated?

He turned and glared at Lin Yue, his voice sharp and stern.

"You only talk about the benefits of maritime trade between the Song and Song dynasties, but you forget the redundant officials and soldiers of the Song dynasty. Where did these redundant soldiers come from? They were nothing more than ordinary people who could not make a living."

Although the commercial taxes of the Song Dynasty were abundant, they were still insufficient to support the national treasury, ultimately leading to the Song Dynasty's retreat to a corner of the country and its eventual demise at the hands of foreign invaders!

Our Ming Dynasty's territory far exceeds that of the Song Dynasty. If we can encourage agriculture and sericulture, and build water conservancy projects so that the people can focus on farming and weaving, the income from land taxes will be enough to support the national economy. Why should we risk the world's condemnation and abandon the fundamental to pursue the illusory profits overseas?

As the sage said, merchants pursue profit and forget morality. If the whole country values ​​commerce over agriculture, morals will inevitably decline, and social order will collapse. How can the Ming Dynasty last long?

Lin Yue sneered and angrily pointed at Xie Jin, retorting, "How pedantic Scholar Xie is!"

The mistakes of the two Song dynasties lay in their policy of prioritizing internal affairs over external ones, and in their military system where soldiers did not know their generals and generals did not know their soldiers. What did this have to do with maritime trade?

I believe it was precisely the commercial taxes that sustained the million-strong army of the Song Dynasty. Otherwise, with half of its territory occupied, it would have been destroyed by the Liao and Jin dynasties long ago. How could it have enjoyed a three-hundred-year reign?

Lin Yue looked at Xie Jin with disdain. "You're the only one who can spout the words of ancient sages. He can too: 'You claim that agriculture is fundamental and commerce is secondary, but that's nothing but conjecture.'"

The ancient Zhou Rites clearly state that "the tax on markets and border crossings" was one of the nine taxes. Confucius also said, "To benefit the people by doing what is beneficial to them is not a wasteful act." While merchants certainly pursue profit, they also play a role in facilitating trade and alleviating people's livelihoods.

"Moreover, the gains and benefits of the world are not static!"

The benefits of the Song Dynasty lay in the sea, and so does the benefit of our Great Ming Dynasty!

Luzon spices, southern iron ore, and Japanese silver were not native to the Central Plains. Developing maritime trade was a new source of profit, not a way to compete with the people for profit.

You say that the land tax is sufficient to support the country, but you do not see that the military expenses in the north are three million shi of grain per year, and now the shipyard needs one million taels of silver to build ships.

At this time, the government's finances are still sufficient to support the peace, but if a major enemy attacks in the future, relying solely on land taxes will only be a matter of borrowing from one source to make up for another, and the people will eventually suffer from heavy taxes!

Er Jiejin advocated prioritizing agriculture and suppressing commerce, yet he ended up reducing commercial taxes and increasing agricultural burdens. Isn't this a contradiction?

Lin Yue snorted coldly, flicked his robes, and continued to speak loudly.

"It was precisely because the Song Dynasty opened up maritime trade and took advantage of Quanzhou and Guangzhou that it was able to obtain spices from Southeast Asia, treasures from the West, and gold and silver from Japan, which gave it sufficient financial resources to support the people's livelihood and resist foreign aggression."

"If our Great Ming Dynasty were to expand its maritime trade on a large scale today, using the giant ships of our treasure shipyards as vessels and our overseas vassal states as bases, the spices of Luzon, the iron ore of the South Seas, and the silver of Japan could be continuously imported into the Central Plains, and commercial taxes would surely increase year by year!"

He looked up at Zhu Di, thought for a moment, and decided to make a grand promise to Zhu Di.

Lin Yue bowed and said, "Your Majesty, the prosperity of the tax revenue of the Song Dynasty was not due to its larger territory or more advanced technology, but rather to its emphasis on trade and its efficient fiscal and tax system."

The Maritime Trade Office was established to manage overseas trade, and the system of tax collection and procurement and the public certificate system were closely linked, ensuring that commercial tax collection was thorough and comprehensive.

The imperial court valued commerce and trade, did not suppress maritime interests, opened up many ports, and established trade relations with more than fifty countries, with trade networks connecting the four seas.

Today, the territory of our Great Ming Dynasty far exceeds that of the Song Dynasty, and our technology is even more advanced. It is only because we prioritize agriculture over commerce and neglect maritime trade, and our fiscal and tax system is tied to land tax, that we have missed out on this huge benefit!

If we can adopt a maritime trade strategy, in time, commercial taxes will surely surpass land taxes!

When the national treasury is full, Your Majesty may issue an edict to exempt the land tax from all taxes, so that the people can focus on farming and weaving without worrying about taxes, and the elderly can be cared for and the young can be educated!

Consider this: throughout history, which dynasty or era could exempt all people from land taxes?

Only Your Majesty can perform this benevolent act. Once this is done, Your Majesty will surpass even Yao and Shun, becoming a sage emperor unprecedented in history, and the Ming Dynasty will be secure for ten thousand generations!